Why is a 6 month old baby. Test to check the development of a six-month-old baby. Set up an obstacle course
Six months is the first small anniversary and an important milestone for the baby. At this age, crawl, sit, so that he has the opportunity to see the surrounding space in a new way - from a vertical position. The child’s entertainment also changes: he stares at his own, as if studying them again, begins to see and discover other qualities in them.
The main task of parents is to help their child develop and improve their skills further, because there is still so much to learn and master. An excellent assistant in this will be games with a baby.
The main task of the parents of a six-month-old child is to help the natural development of the baby, capture his attention and involve him in learning new skills.
The value of games for the development of crumbs
At the age of six months, the baby is actively developing, carefully studying everything around, and parents are obliged to help him in this. All learning must take place in the form of a game.
If mom and dad care about the well-being of their baby, they just need to regularly make time for him to play at home. What to do with the baby at this age?
Modern psychologists point out the great importance of educational games in the life of a 6-month-old baby, they help the baby improve existing skills, as well as acquire new ones.
Without such fun, the child lags behind his peers both in terms of physical development and intellectual development - he starts talking later, getting up on his feet and walking (for more details, see the article:). Such statistics are observed today in many countries.
Build fine motor skills
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Today, children's stores have a huge assortment of educational games, but for crumbs at the age of 6 months, the simplest entertainment is suitable. For this, parents should stock up on simple toys that have been tested by more than one generation of children, as well as various household items (boxes, jars, balls, plastic cups).
Pyramid with rings
An ordinary pyramid with large rings is an indispensable toy for the development of a six-month-old baby. Of course, the child will not immediately begin to assemble and disassemble it on his own, first you need to demonstrate to him how this is done. First of all, we will teach the baby to disassemble the pyramid: we show the bottom ring and ask the child to remove it, we do it ourselves, then with the baby’s pen, and only after a series of exercises will the baby master this skill. When the child learns to manage with one ring, you should complicate the task for him and add a couple more rings to the pyramid. As the skill develops and improves, the number of rings must continue to be increased.
As soon as the baby learns to disassemble the pyramid, you can proceed to the next stage - stringing rings on the rod. This task requires the baby to be more concentrated and able to coordinate his movements - he will master such manipulations closer to 7-8 months, and maybe later.
The pyramid is a multifunctional toy, it contributes to the development of attention, logic and fine motor skills. Playing with it, the baby will get acquainted with different colors and sizes of objects.
Despite the simplicity of design, the pyramid is an indispensable thing: it teaches the baby to distinguish the shapes, colors and sizes of objects. Box with toys
Small containers, boxes and boxes with lids will be great toys for a six-month-old baby. Curious kids will try to open them on their own, wanting to find out what is hidden inside. If the baby is not interested in the toy, you can attract his attention: shake the box, ask what is in it, offer to open it.
When the child learns to remove the lid, you need to show him how to get the toys out of the container, and then put them back. Taking items out of the box, you can tell the baby about them, perform various manipulations with them. You can collect a whole collection of jars and containers, the child will be interested in fiddling with them for the next few months.
Cup and balls
As the skills of the crumbs improve, we continue to complicate the exercises. Now you need to find a small box, balls (these can be balls, balls or other round objects) and a plastic cup. The task of the little one take the ball out of the container with a pen and throw it into the glass. For a 6-month-old baby, this is a rather difficult task, but it perfectly develops coordination of movements, an eye (because you need to get into a glass) and finger motility.
We train gross motor skills
In order to improve the gross motor skills of the baby, you can entertain him in this way: lie on the floor, put on tight socks on your feet, place the baby on your feet facing you. Holding the baby by the handles, raise the legs and move them in the air in different directions (sideways, up and down, in a circle).
Such entertainment will teach a child to trust an adult - a stable psychological relationship will be established between them. Also, the baby will improve gross motor skills, coordination, and the vestibular apparatus. A young mother, during such fun, will be able to tone her abs and remove her tummy after childbirth.
This entertainment will appeal to both the baby and his mother. It will help the baby learn orientation in space, develop his ability to maintain balance.
Learn to crawl
At 6-7 months, most babies are actively learning to crawl. Many experts, including Dr. Komarovsky, point to the need to help the baby master this skill.
The traditional way to teach a baby to crawl - (we recommend reading:) put a favorite children's toy near the baby, but so that he could not reach her with a pen. What will the child do in such a situation? Of course, he will try to make every effort to get to the toy.
He won’t succeed right away, but it’s enough to work out with the baby for 10-15 minutes several times, and in the end he will crawl. First you need to help the baby - put a towel or blanket rolled up with a roller under his chest, so it will be easier for the baby to raise the body and master the skill of crawling.
Such simple fun will bear fruit very soon - the baby, trying to reach out to his favorite toy, will definitely crawl to it. But you need to spend lessons with the baby every day.
Developing tactile skills
A newborn begins to cognize the surrounding space precisely through tactile sensations, at the age of six months they need to continue to be improved. Simple entertainment with the baby will help in this, and feathers, ribbons, pieces of silk or terry cloth become the main toys.
Such fun will help to discover new sensations: you should undress the baby to the diaper and lay it on the back, objects with different textures (something smooth, fluffy, rough) should be driven along the baby’s body. Because of the new sensations, the child will experience various emotions - either freeze warily, or joyfully “gurgle” and smile (for more details, see the article:). You need to start touching from the tummy, then move to the arms and legs, when the baby calms down, you should turn him over and stroke his back.
During one lesson, you should not use more than 2-3 items, this baby will be enough. Such fun brings pleasure to all children, it gives them new sensations and emotions. You can learn about the experience of other mothers and other interesting developmental solutions in the video.
Talking to the little one
With a six-month-old baby, you need to talk as often as possible. A variety of children's songs, rhymes and nursery rhymes contribute to the formation of speech skills in the child in the future.
At the age of 6-8 months, you can perform the “Phone” exercise with the baby. To do this, you need a handset, into which an adult must speak simple syllables, but with different intonation. So, sitting next to the baby, we put the phone to our ear and say, for example, “ma-ma”, then “ma-ma?”, Then we bring the phone to the baby, let him try to repeat something.
For older children (from six months to a year), we can recommend a fun called "First Words". Its purpose is to teach the baby to imitate sounds and babble. You can lay the child on the back and bend over him a little so that he can see the face of an adult. Taking the baby by the handles, we begin to pronounce syllables and short words. During the game, on each word, we spread the handles to the sides and bring them together again, this technique will help the baby concentrate on the very process of “communication” with the parents. The kid will carefully listen to the speech of an adult, follow his lips, trying to repeat the movements.
Although the baby is still very small, parents need to actively communicate with him and use conversational elements in games - the baby will need this very soon What else do you need to know about educational games?
All caring parents will certainly surround their baby with attention and care, devoting time to games and learning. It is also important that these activities bring real benefit and pleasure, and not be a burden to a child or an adult. It is necessary to create all the conditions for the baby to fully develop and learn new things.
- choose the right time for entertainment and exercise: it is advisable to spend them after sleeping or feeding, if the child is tired or sick, it is better to postpone them;
- for active pastime, morning hours are more suitable, for the evening you need to leave more calm fun;
- do not overwork the baby with entertainment, for a six-month-old baby, 15 minutes a day is enough, with a 7-8 month old baby you can do it longer;
- for the well-being of the baby, the room must be well ventilated before the training, otherwise the child will start to act up, whine and get tired quickly;
- during the game, try to constantly be on the same level with the baby - for example, by placing the baby on the floor, also sit on the floor;
- regularly praise and encourage the baby with pleasant words if he managed to cope with the task, so he will feel the support of an adult and take on a new business with even greater zeal;
- finally, remember yourself what it is to be a child, go back to childhood for a while.
Funny educational games will not only bring pleasure to the baby, but also help him form new skills, get to know the surrounding space better. You can learn more about the methods of developing a baby at 6 months from a useful video.
Six months of life is the first "anniversary" of the baby, at this time he begins to develop rapidly, showing his personal qualities. He has a character, preferences, habits, mental and physical changes occur. At this age, the diet and daily routine of the child changes significantly, the weight and height of the little man grows, he especially needs the attention of parents and communication with them.
Physical development of a child in six months
It is not only about weight and height, but also the skills of the little one. A healthy baby of 6 months masters new movements and postures, he sits well, leaning on a vertical surface. Now you can arrange him in a stroller while sitting, but you don’t need to keep him in this position for a long time - he will get tired.
At the end of 6 months, you need to introduce complementary foods. For the first six months of life, you can only feed him with breast milk, but now it's time to introduce the little man to other foods. At the same time, you should not completely stop breastfeeding - the baby will be happy to eat mother's milk for up to a year and even longer.
The little one sleeps for six months for 14-16 hours a day, while he sleeps for 10 hours at night, and during the day he sleeps 2-3 times for 2 hours. If the child sleeps 3 times during the day, then the longest sleep should be in the middle of the day, and in the morning and evening the rest can be quite short.
The weight and height of the little man continue to increase, but if you do not introduce complementary foods, then soon the baby will stop growing. The table of height and weight of a six-month-old girl and boy gives the following data:
Height and weight are relative - they are for the average baby. If it does not reach the right size, do not worry, look at adults who vary greatly from each other in height and weight. The main thing is that the child grows from week to week, so that his development is evident.
At six months, the baby can already sit on his own, but only if there is a vertical support behind him. Psycho-emotional indicators of development and skills
This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!
What can a six-month-old little man know, what is the norm? It was said above that he sits, leaning on a vertical surface. He actively moves, spins, rolls over from his back to his stomach and back, makes attempts to crawl. If the baby does not know how to roll over, but he is active, laughs, communicates - it does not matter, the skill will develop a little later.
List of basic skills of a six-month-old normal baby:
- The baby is sitting in a stroller and in a high chair. When he is awake in the crib, he tries to sit up on his own. If he can't sit still, there's nothing wrong with that. Wait a few weeks before sounding the alarm, because not all babies develop strictly according to the schedule, the norm is slightly different for everyone.
- When the baby is 6-7 months old, he tries to crawl. If the surface is flat and comfortable, he can crawl. Put a bright toy close to the child, stimulate his desire to crawl towards it - this is a very useful skill. Those who crawled well in early childhood do not have spinal diseases at an older age (we recommend reading:). In addition, crawling prepares the child for walking in adulthood, he develops the necessary muscles.
- A six-month-old baby can take objects by himself. He tries them "on the tooth", shakes, hits each other, trying to find a use for toys. At this time, an understanding of causal relationships is born, the bell shook - it rang, threw the ball out of the crib - it disappeared. The baby develops a primary understanding of the essence of things.
- TO the arapus laughs loudly, screams, sings in his incomprehensible language. He tries to imitate the sounds he heard from his parents. Babble is still dominated by vowels, but consonants also appear.
- The little man loves to play with his parents. He screams with delight when dad throws him up and catches him, he likes it when mom shakes him on his knees or on outstretched legs. He loves to be circled under the armpits. Just do all this carefully, away from furniture, so as not to harm the little one.
Watch a video about the behavior of a six-month-old baby - this will help you evaluate the development of your child.
Summary table of skills and abilities of a baby at 6 months:
| Development area | What's happening? |
|---|---|
| Physical activity | When pulling up by the handles, the little one sits down and rises on his legs, tries to step over, leaning on his foot. Dances - springs on a solid support. Crawling and rearranging the handles, moves around the crib (arena). Rolls over from tummy to back. He sits but quickly loses his balance. |
| Actions with objects | Manipulates toys by transferring them from one hand to another. He learns to grasp objects: first he finds with his eyes, then purposefully raises his pen and takes it. He pulls toys into his mouth, "studying" them not only with his fingers, but also with his gums. |
| Skills | He eats with a spoon, removing food with his lips. Drinks from a cup (from the hands of an adult). |
| Vision | Visual acuity develops: the baby studies the object in detail, loves small objects. |
| Hearing | Reacts to intonation, his name. He rejoices when an adult addresses him. Loves music - "sings along". |
| Emotions | More and more attached to a close adult (mother), there is a real affection and love. Strangers may be perceived with anxiety. Communication with loved ones acquires a situational-business character: the baby needs an adult to involve him in business, cheer him up, and praise him. Be offended if they do not pay attention to him or take away a toy. |
| Speech | He pronounces separate babbling syllables, and by the end of the month there are already about 40 sounds in his vocabulary, and the baby is babbling with might and main. |
| Intelligence | Everything is researched and studied. Learns to recognize: i.e. correlates new impressions about the subject with those that are already familiar to him. He already clearly answers the question "Where ..." - he finds an object with his eyes. Performs an action only in order to perform another, i.e. to achieve the desired - overcomes difficulties. |
Reasons for excitement
There are some points that may be a reason to see a doctor:
- if the baby does not try to dance when he is supported by the armpits in a standing position;
- if he does not try to sit up while awake and does not sit leaning on pillows when his parents sit him down;
- if during the game he does not transfer objects from one pen to another;
- if he does not want to handle;
- if he does not listen, does not start when some noises are made outside his field of vision;
- if he does not recognize his parents, does not babble something in his own language, does not smile.
By contacting a doctor in these cases, you will receive recommendations for additional exercises with a child of 6 months or more. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe some kind of examination and treatment.
Feeding a six month old baby
If the baby is breastfed, then the 6th month is the best time to start complementary foods. Keep in mind that we are talking about the end of the period. Do not introduce new foods to the menu if the child is less than 6 months old. If the baby was fed with milk formula, then complementary foods should be started 2 months earlier, since he gains weight faster.
A six-month-old average baby no longer has enough mother's milk or formula to compensate for the energy costs of active movement - he needs more useful substances - proteins, fats, minerals, trace elements. Including vegetable proteins.
With the late introduction of complementary foods, the baby is more difficult to adapt to adult food, sometimes diseases associated with vitamin deficiency begin - rickets, anemia, malnutrition, lack of growth. He does not get the skill of chewing in time, his taste perception of food may be disturbed. In addition, if you introduce complementary foods later than the 7th month, you will have to add several products at the same time, and this is undesirable - it is possible to develop an allergy to any product or disrupt the digestive tract. Talk to your pediatrician before introducing complementary foods.
The composition of complementary foods depends on the characteristics of the baby. If he is overweight or often constipated, you need to start with vegetables - you can make mashed zucchini or cauliflower (we recommend reading:). Broccoli will also work. If the baby is thin, start with cereals, cereals from buckwheat, rice and corn are suitable for him. Puree is made from boiled vegetables with a blender. Porridges are boiled in water without salt and sugar.
Vegetable complementary foods are suitable for those babies who have gained a little more weight or suffer from constipation - the fiber contained in vegetables will improve the digestive tract The first complementary foods should consist of 1 product: for example, mashed potatoes only from zucchini, porridge only from buckwheat. The calendar for introducing various foods into the baby's diet suggests that it is better to introduce mixed vegetable purees and cereals from several cereals into the menu after the seventh month. It is worth feeding in the first half of the day, so that in case of a bad reaction of the baby - vomiting, pain, diarrhea, you can cope with the situation until the evening. Start complementary foods with 1 teaspoon.
Diet
Complementary feeding is convenient to start in the summer, when there are many quality vegetables on sale. Try to make the puree smooth and thin - a blender allows you to do this. If the puree is thick, add the water from the vegetable boil to it. Porridge should not contain lumps - cereals can first be ground to a state of flour.
The nutrition of a child of the 6th month of life looks like this: first you give ½ or 1 teaspoon of complementary foods, then you supplement the baby with milk. For 10 days, bring the amount of complementary foods to 180 grams and completely replace 1 feeding with complementary foods. Give a new product only when the baby is used to the previous one.
Check if the child is allergic to any product. If a rash or red spots develop, discard the last product added. Check if the baby's stool is normal.
The baby eats five to six times a day. Power mode looks like this:
- 1 feeding - give breast milk early in the morning;
- 2 feeding - in the late morning they give a little fruit puree, then mother's milk;
- 3 feeding - during the day they give vegetable puree or porridge;
- 4 feeding - fruit puree is given in the early evening, then breast milk;
- 5th and 6th feeding - at night and at night they give only breast milk.
Feeding times may vary from baby to baby, depending on the baby's preference. At night, the child can not be fed if he sleeps and does not require food, you just need to observe the interval between feedings - at least 3.5 hours.
A well-known pediatrician draws attention to the fact that some difficulties in the life of a 6-7 month old baby are the norm. The little man starts teething, so he can worry and sleep badly. Dr. Komarovsky advises to walk longer with the baby, bathe him in cool water, feed him more heartily at night so that he falls asleep. Before going to bed, you can give the baby a relaxing massage. The main thing - do not worry, and remember that all difficulties are temporary. Teeth climb in turns and periods of anxiety do not last long. Your baby's weight may decrease slightly at this time - take everything calmly, then your baby will be calm.
How many wonderful discoveries you have... The words of the classic can be attributed not only to enlightenment, but also to your six-month-old baby. All changes accumulated gradually, and now they have manifested themselves in full.
For the first time, the little one sat down, for the first time tried solid food, for the first time he turned over without the help of his mother, the first tooth appeared. Let us consider in more detail what new skills he developed, how the small organism has changed.
What should a child be able to do at 6 months
Mother's milk is an indispensable food product for a newborn. The child grows, improves, and with it the composition of his food changes: the wise nature made sure that the child receives the necessary substances. But, starting from the second half of life, it is necessary to diversify the nutrition of the baby. New dishes are offered gradually, literally at the tip of a spoon, in order to be able to track down possible allergic reactions. Complementary foods are introduced in agreement with the pediatrician on the basis of the "Methodological recommendations" of the WHO and the Ministry of Health.
Starting to feed pureed food, offer the little one a spoon. This process will resemble a funny comedy rather than a full meal, but the baby will be able to imitate your movements. This means that soon the porridge will fall into the mouth for its intended purpose, which will cause complete delight both for you and for the very hero of such a celebration. And in order not to be upset by the sight of what your kitchen is turning into, consider how to protect the floor and carpet around the table during such a meal.
The baby's mood, behavior, well-being can suddenly change. Abundant salivation begins, after which the gums swell and turn red. The peanut constantly pulls available objects into his mouth. It is difficult to communicate with him in this state: capricious, easily irritated and crying. Familiar symptoms? That's right, you can be congratulated on the first tooth! Get special rings, you can with fillers: let him gnaw them, you just don't forget to sterilize them (boil). In order to relieve disturbing itching and pain, special gels are sold in pharmacies, let the pediatrician make an appointment.
Pay attention to how carefully the baby listens to the sounds of your voice. He no longer simply perceives it, but also tries to understand what exactly they are saying. Do not forget that you are the standard of your native language for him, so you should not “lisp”. Talk to the baby like a normal adult: clear sounds and literary words. You will help your child to quickly learn how to pronounce sounds correctly and enrich his future vocabulary.
By the way, he no longer hums, but babbles quite recognizable sound combinations - the syllables “ba”, “ma”, “pa”, etc. Sometimes it may even seem that he is consciously talking to you.
The muscles of the child, thanks to everyday exercises, have become stronger and now he does not want to lie in the crib. It is easy for him to roll over from his tummy to his back and back. He sits on his own, leaning on the handles. Begins to crawl more and more confidently, however, sometimes it turns out better to move backward than forward. These are the most important movements that a baby should be able to do at 6 months.
He likes to stand upright. Please note: it rests quite firmly on the legs when you hold it under the armpits. Moreover, with your help, he tries to stand up on his own and even step over his legs in place. Important: he gradually learns to rise, grabbing the side backs of the crib, so it is better not to leave the baby unattended.
Parents should closely observe how the child develops at 6 months in order to pay attention to possible complications in a timely manner. So, you should seek the advice of a pediatrician if a child at this age:
- from a position lying on his stomach, he is not able to reach the toy;
- does not "dance" in a vertical position with support under the armpits;
- cannot take a die within reach;
- does not react if newsprint is rustled outside his field of vision;
- does not know how, stretching out his hands to his mother, ask her to take it.
Physical and psychomotor development of a child at 6 months
A six-month-old baby has grown by 2 cm, weight has increased by 650 g.
According to WHO standard indicators, the weight of girls at this age should be 6.5-8.2 kg, height - 63.5-68.0 cm, and head circumference - 40.9-43.5 cm.
Future defenders should have more serious parameters: the weight of boys at 6 months ranges from 7.1 to 8.8 kg, height - from 65.5 to 69.8 cm, and head circumference - from 42.1 to 44.6 cm.
The kid, with support from a sitting position, rises, and bending the legs at the knee joints, calmly returns to its original position. He easily already changes the orientation of his body in order to turn towards a bright toy or a sound.
Increased hand activity. The thumb is now used simultaneously with the palm, so the little one is already able to grab large objects. He takes the desired toy with his fingers and begins to shift it from hand to hand. The kid is now able to concentrate on one subject.
By the end of 6 months, the child becomes very selective in his communication. He openly rejoices in relatives and friends with whom he often sees. At the same time, being in the arms of her mother, she instantly becomes alert at the sight of a stranger. It's funny, but if she is not around, he looks at unusual faces differently - a tiny researcher sees in them an opportunity to establish a new, interesting contact.
Charging for a child at 6 months
Physical exercises for the development of a child at 6 months should be aimed at improving coordination of movements, improving the musculoskeletal system. Your baby begins to understand what they are saying, so you should accompany your actions with commands: turn around, lie on your tummy, on your back, sit down. All words should sound kindly, without nervousness. Then charging for the child will become a time of joy and communication with a loved one.
1. Bringing your hands together in front of your chest has been mastered by you and your baby for a long time, but now it should be made a little more complicated: the baby does not hold on to the thumbs of her mother's hands, but to rattles or rings. Pulling on the toys, spread the arms to the sides, then cross in front of the chest. Repeat the exercise 8 times, alternating left and right from above.
2. To strengthen and develop the muscles, joints of the baby, leg raises are performed. In the supine position, you need to take it by the shins (thumbs down, and the rest of the fingers wrap around the shins themselves). Straighten the legs, raise at a right angle to the plane, hold for a few seconds and lower. It should be repeated 7 times a day.
3. In order to develop the press and back muscles, the torso is lifted from the prone position. To do this, put your thumbs in his palms. With the remaining fingers, hold the handles by the wrists. Spread them apart, then up, pull a little. The baby's head will rise, the heels will rest against the adult. Sipping is performed until the little one gets on his knees. The exercise is performed 2 times.
4. Hand rotation in a circle is performed while sitting with the help of rings. Give them to the baby, when he grabs them, make circular movements 5-7 times, holding on to the toys.
Educational exercises for a child at 6 months
Knowing what a child should be able to do at 6 months, you should consider exercises for further development. You will have to spend much more time communicating with your child than before: showing toys, telling what they are and what sizes, demonstrating an example of how to handle them. Over time, he himself will learn to repeat all new types of movement.
For the development of fine motor skills of the hand, precise movements, give the baby toys of different sizes and shapes. For the same purpose, take a bright thick thread - let him train to grab it with his fingers. Put cubes into use: it is useful for the baby to learn how to take them and, watching your example, try to put them on top of each other.
Teach your child to reach out to you. To do this, first take it yourself, saying "Give me a pen." At the same time, demonstrate your enthusiasm for this with all your looks. A little time will pass and the child himself will gladly extend his hand at your request.
Travel with the little one around the house, apartment, on the street. Let him touch all surfaces with his palms (wall, carpet, mirror). At the same time, be sure to name what it is dealing with, briefly tell what it serves, etc.
To relax and gradually develop the hands, the following movements are performed:
- "pat the cat" - alternately perform stroking movements with the right and left brushes;
- “the chicken is pecking at the grains” - fold the fingers of the palm in the form of a beak, rhythmically tilt the pinch, as if the bird is really pecking food;
- “painting the house” - the brush moves slowly and smoothly in the directions up and down, left and right.
Play more with jokes and nursery rhymes: this trains not only muscles and hand coordination, but also memory. With frequent repetition of simple rhymes, the baby gradually remembers them. By imitating the sound of your voice, he will gradually learn to speak.
The more attentive you are to the development of the child during this period, the more successful he will be in the future.
A kind of milestone and transition to another stage of development is the six-month-old age of the baby. You can't call him a baby, despite the fact that he can continue to suckle at the breast. All his actions, consciousness move to a new stage. Therefore, the question becomes reasonable, what should a child be able to do at 6 months? Are there any special criteria by which the rate of development is determined?
Physiological changes
By this age, the baby already has certain skills, demonstrating how it develops. The first sign is the ability to independently perform coups from back to stomach. The child acts consciously.
By the age of 6 months, he manages to hold on with one hand, lying on his stomach, and use the other to achieve the goal: take a toy, reach for an interesting thing. The muscles of the back develop at the right pace, they are able to provide support to the child, even if not for long.
A certain category of children can sit without support or with a small number of supports: rollers, pillows. This is a great age to start developing your baby to sit. The hypertonicity inherent in infants from the moment of their birth practically disappears. Many already move in their own way, crawling on their tummy or rolling.
The kid firmly grabs the supports with both hands, trying not only to sit down, but also to rise. Little inquisitives begin to actively explore the world around them. Particularly agile get up, holding on to the railings of the crib, while others move from thoughts to deeds, making the first movements to attempts to crawl. Many succeed. If there is no such impulse, then this is not a cause for concern. All kids are different. The child can move while sitting, helping himself with his hands, or immediately go.
The child's body gives the following signal about the desire to walk. If you take the baby by the armpits and hold it, then he will gladly try to push off with his legs, jump or even dance. There is an active development, strengthening of the hip muscles.
physical changes
Following the conditional table, you can observe changes in physical indicators. The development of a child at 6 months is determined by weight, height, head circumference, chest. Regardless of gender, he is gaining about 650 grams by the age of six months. His height increases by two centimeters, his chest - by an average of 1.5 centimeters, and about half a centimeter - head circumference.
The changes concern not only growth, but also the eruption of the first teeth, one of the most important stages of the baby. This process may be accompanied by a slight disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. In parallel, there may be a rise in temperature, abundant salivation. The baby often becomes capricious, cries.
This period will pass. To alleviate the condition of the baby will help special toys-teethers, cooling gels with the effect of anesthesia. The gel is applied to one's finger, the inflamed gums are massaged. The first visit to the dentist is at the age of six months.
Emotional and speech changes
What can a baby do at 6 months? This moment is positioned by the active development of fine motor skills. The baby is able to hold one different object in each hand. At the same time, he carefully studies them, turning from side to side. It is not considered a deviation if he not only feels the thing, but tries to try it “by the teeth”. This is an innate instinct, considered the norm. It becomes easier to feed him with a spoon, as the baby has learned to “remove” food from her lips.
He makes the first attempts to pronounce the words. True, this is more like babbling. The first combinations of vowels and consonants are pronounced. The baby only imitates adults, which is why communication is so important. The development of a child at 6 months, especially in girls, is characterized by the ability to pronounce about 40 sounds. However, such babbling does not carry a semantic load.
In addition to the first attempts to talk, the baby no longer just listens to the words of adults, but also tries to understand them. For example: if you call a thing by a familiar name, he will try to visually find it. You can understand the baby when he asks to be held. He recognizes, distinguishes familiar voices. He knows his mother's voice especially well, he can recognize it even if she is in the next room.
He has the first signs of consistent consciousness. For example, the baby knows: if an object falls, it will make a sound. He throws toys on purpose to watch the process, how they fly, how they fall, and what kind of sound it makes. Children are not just an observational process, they are trying to find practical applications for things and are very happy when adults show them how to handle them. The formation of cause-and-effect relationships does not mean progressive intellectual development. It will start a little later.
Sitting on their knees, they know how to show affection, clinging to an adult. They shy away from outsiders, people they do not know a little less, but at the same time they keep their distance and are not very willing to make contact.
danger signals
Regardless of the number of months, development occurs in each baby individually. The absence of some of the above skills does not mean deviations. But there are a number of signs that should alert, as they can affect developmental retardation, which will subsequently lead to more serious problems:
- if by six months the baby cannot roll over from his stomach to his back and vice versa;
- if, lying on his stomach, he does not try to raise his body or head;
- does not turn his head to look around;
- if he lacks the skill of being able to sit with support;
- if there is no interest in toys, as well as a desire to try out a thing in the mouth;
- the baby does not babble, ignores when they turn to him.
Compliance with the schedule
For the active development of a child at 6 months - a girl, a boy - it does not matter, it is very important to maintain a certain daily routine. The routine contributes to the development and strengthening of the nervous system.
Estimated time. The mode is selected based on the personal characteristics of the baby. He needs at least 14-16 hours of sleep per night. During the day, sleep is recommended in two sets of 1.5-2 hours.
Night sleep lasting 6-7 hours should be uninterrupted. A break is allowed if the baby is breastfeeding. Some children continue to wake up several times during the night. This can continue until the moment of weaning from the breast. In some cases, this passes by three years: an age that is an auspicious moment to wean from mother's milk. As the baby grows older, it will be less likely to apply to the mother, and the moments themselves will move closer to the morning hours. Interesting: “artificial” babies do not wake up at night for a snack. Many pediatricians associate the desire to suck on the mother's breasts more as a means of calming than satiating.
In order for the baby to sleep well at night, the interval between the last daytime and nighttime sleep should be at least four hours. Despite the fact that you can bathe your baby a little less often, experts recommend doing this every evening. Water procedures have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, having a calming effect. In addition, water awakens the appetite.
Child nutrition
The six-month period is the time to start introducing complementary foods. The child's body strongly needs a sufficient amount of all the necessary vitamins and minerals for growth and development. Before introducing complementary foods, a pediatrician should be consulted.
Timing is important due to a number of factors. Late introductions to new foods can cause your baby to reject tastes that are completely new to him. Lack of minerals and vitamins leads to a lack of many substances in the body. Late feeding can cause underdeveloped chewing skills.
Training should begin in the morning. During the day, there will be time to observe the body's reaction to new foods. The optimum food temperature is approximately 37 degrees. It is advisable to give drinks in special plastic non-spill cups (sold in pharmacies), and leave bottles with nipples for trips and walks.
In chubby children, attention is focused on vegetable and fruit purees. Children who need to gain weight are more likely to be given cereal. The child must, along with new food, replenish his energy balance and get acquainted with new tastes.
Exercises and activities
For harmonious development with the baby, it is necessary to play educational games, to study. The ideal option is to interest the baby in sorters designed for children of this age. For example, there are designs with holes in which you need to insert elements of the appropriate size and shape. Games with cereals (peas, buckwheat, rice and others) will help develop fine motor skills.
What can you start teaching him? Distinguish the texture of objects, the ratio of sizes, the ability to distinguish colors. Modern toys designed with age development in mind will come to the rescue. When buying, attention should be paid to the quality of workmanship and material. Psychologists recommend not to expose the child to all the toys at once. The baby, as a rule, plays with two or three species. The rest can be put in a bag, a box. After a week, "boring" items can be replaced with new ones by adding one element.
The kid knows and feels well the emotions of the parents, and also almost unmistakably recognizes approval on an intuitive level. Therefore, it is very important to constantly praise him with every success of the crumbs. For normal physical, mental and emotional development, massage, a number of exercises, including in water, are relevant, provided that your child is not afraid of it.
Do not miss the moment of the infant period, in the future there will be much fewer questions. For example, parents of preschool children before sending them to primary school often ask the question, what should a child be able to do at 6 years old? By mastering all the necessary skills at the appropriate age, each stage of development of the little man will be much easier.
A six-month-old baby is already very different from a newborn. Every day he acquires new communication skills, shows his individual character traits. The physical development of a child at 6 months allows him to actively move, roll over, crawl, and some even sit. Mothers also observe a significant increase in the weight of their crumbs. All these changes affect the daily routine, the diet of the baby. A child at this age needs more than just mother's care. At least approximately knowing what a child should be able to do at 6 months, parents can plan games and developmental activities to form his new skills and abilities.
Physiology of a six-month-old baby
In a child of 6 months, physical development occurs at a rapid pace. His weight is already twice that of a newborn. Over the current month, he will add about 650 grams in weight and grow by a couple of centimeters. Each child has their own development schedule. However, there are approximate norms that children's doctors and parents are guided by. Boys and girls are different.
Skills and abilities of a 6-month-old baby
Every mother is pleased to brag about what a baby can do at 6 months. After all, many children by this time can already sit alone or in a special chair, crawl on their stomachs, helping themselves with their legs, and some are already trying to get on all fours. Physical development allows a 6-month-old baby to perform a variety of activities:
- The baby is already trying to rise to its feet, holding on to some kind of support. If you help the child a little and support him, then he will begin to sort out his legs, trying to take small steps.
- The baby himself reaches for toys, deftly manipulates them, easily shifting from one hand to another.
- The kid is able to evaluate the results of his actions. He already knows: if you shake the rattle, it will make sounds; if you throw a toy, it will fall to the floor.
- Any study of objects ends with the fact that the baby drags it into his mouth. A 6-month-old child thus learns the world around him.
- Children of this age already respond to their name, responding with animation and even a smile. They already know the names of many objects, finding them with their eyes when they are mentioned by their parents.
- Baby talk does not yet have any semantic meaning. But the sounds are already gradually folded into syllables.
- Showing tenderness for her mother, the baby is wary of strangers. But with other children, he enjoys playing, copying their behavior.
- At this age, you can work with a child, teaching him to eat from a spoon, because he already knows how to remove food from her lips with his lips.
If it seems that something is preventing the child from developing, then you need to seek help from a specialist in the following situations:
- The baby cannot roll over from the back to the tummy and vice versa.
- The baby does not have enough strength to lift the upper body when he lies on his tummy.
- Cannot get into a sitting position even if supported.
- The child does not turn his head to look at the surrounding objects.
- The kid does not coo and does not study toys, dragging them into his mouth.
- The baby does not study objects with the help of her hands: she does not shake, she does not feel toys, she does not knock them.
The value of the daily routine for a six-month-old child
The established daily routine, observed daily, is the key to a healthy nervous system for both the baby and the whole family. The daily routine of a child at 6 months undergoes some changes. After all, he now needs less time to sleep, and while awake, the baby requires more attention. At this age, sleep accounts for 15-16 hours a day. Of course, most of this time is taken by night sleep, which takes 9 to 10 hours. The rest of the time is divided into 3 daytime sleeps.
If a child at 6 months does not sleep well at night, you should try not to wake him up in the morning. He should fall asleep after a daily hygiene procedure and feeding. When breastfeeding, breastfeeding should be given to the baby in the early morning hours. The child should sleep in a ventilated room at a comfortable temperature. One of the afternoon naps is best spent outside if the weather conditions are favorable.
Walks should be two for a 6-month-old baby. You should not go out for a walk if it is raining heavily, the wind is knocking you down, and the temperature on the street thermometer is below 10 ° C.
6 months is the time when it is time to introduce the first complementary foods. In addition to breast milk or infant formula, the baby can be given vegetable or fruit puree. The new product is offered in tiny portions, gradually increasing the volume if there is no negative reaction.
Although daily activities with a 6-month-old baby are interesting, you should definitely stick to the regimen. Every baby has their own biological clock. But an approximate daily routine might be as follows:
- 6:00 - 8:30 - awakening, morning hygiene procedures, air baths, first feeding
- 8:30 - 10:00 - first daytime nap
- 10:00 - 13:00 - feeding, walking, exercises with light massage
- 13:00 - 13:30 - feeding
- 13:30 - 15:00 - second daytime nap
- 15:00 - 17:00 - active period of wakefulness, including educational games and physical exercises
- 17:00 - 17:30 - feeding
- 17:30 - 19:00 - walk in the fresh air
- 19:00 - 21:00 - calm games with the baby, communication with the family, bathing
- 21:00 - 21:30 - feeding
- 21:30 - 6:00 - night sleep
Each mother may well create an individual daily routine for her baby, taking into account his natural biorhythms.
Features of baby nutrition at 6 months
For six-month-old children, breastfeeding is preferable. But the nutritional value of mother's milk is no longer enough. Therefore, 6 months is the ideal age to start weaning. Usually, at a pediatrician's appointment, mothers receive complete information about how to feed a baby at 6 months. The first complementary foods begin with juices and multi-component fruit and vegetable purees.
New products are introduced in small portions, starting with just a few drops. Feeding is best done in the daytime to observe the reaction of the baby. If there are no rashes, stool changes or other reactions, then the amount of complementary foods can be increased the next time.
In the diet of a child at 6 months, juices and purees from carrots, apples, pumpkins, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, as well as one-component dairy-free cereals appear. At the same time, offer the baby to try the chicken yolk, diluting a small amount of the boiled product in the milk.
The number of feedings for a six-month-old baby is 5 times a day. How much a child should eat at 6 months can be seen from the following table:
If the baby is restless, this is not always a sign of an improper diet. At this age, teething may begin. At the same time, the gums itch, itch. The child is naughty, and the parents are nervous. You need to be patient, because care and support is important for each family member.